Locking device foe velocipedes



' VVL't/Lewa)? (No Model.) G. SINGER 8: R. H. LEA. LOCKING DEVICE FOR VELOGIPEDES.

N0. 465.157. Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

- UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE. 1'

GEORGE SINGER AND RICHARD H. LEA, OF COVENTRY, ENGLAND.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR VELOCIPEDES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,157, dated August 26,1890. Application filed September 26, 1889. Serial No. 325,188. (No model.) Patented in England December 19, 1888, No. 18,579.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE SINGER, cycle manufacturer, and RICHARD HENRY LEA, machinist, both subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, and residing at Coventry, in the county of WVa-rwick, England, have invented certain new and useful Locking Devices for Steering-Gear of Velocipedes, (for which a patent has been granted us in Great Britain, dated December 19, 1888, No. 18,579,) of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to devices, as hereinafter described, for locking the steering-gear of velocipedes, and'is especially applicable to that type known as the Safety bicycle. A rider, especially of the latter form of machine, has hitherto found it extremely difficult, if not practically impossible, to leave his machine leaning with safety against a wall, building, 01' other place. This is owing to the fact of the handles being curved back, and thus placing the point of contact with. the wall, for example, considerably behind the center on which the steering-fork turns. The lateral pressure of the machine against the wall,for example, is thus enabled to react upon and turn the :steeringwheel, the mate-v rial result being that the machine runs away from the wall and falls heavily.

To obviate the great inconvenience that has hitherto been experienced in this respect is the object of our present invention, and that object we attain by means of devices-such as a clip, link, or bolt-capable of temporarily locking the steering-wheel or fork relatively to the remaining part of the machine.

In order that our invention may be readily understood and conveniently carried into practical effect, we will describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in wl1ich- Figure 1 shows in elevation a loop or ring forfixing the front fork by means of the setscrew usually employed for adjusting the handle-bar. Fig. 2 shows an elevation of the head portion of a center-steering machine to which a steering-lock is applied. Fig. 3 is the side elevation of a part of the steeringlock similar to that shownin Fig. 2, but detached and drawn to a larger scale than that figure. Fig. 4 is a plan. Fig. 5, a back elevation of same, and Fig. 6 shows in plan and elevation the recessed plate into which thebolt of the lock (shown at Figs. 3, 4, and 5) takes. Fig. 7 is a side elevation, showing a portion of the fork, the sockettube, and the handlebar of a socketsteering Safety velocipede fitted with our steering-lock. Fig. 8 shows a part of same drawn to a larger scale than the previous figure, and Fig. 9 shows the locking device in section.

Referring to Fig. 1, we fix around the upper part of the steering-socket tube a a split clip I), from which proceeds a right-angled or extension piece 1), and between ears formed on the vertical portion of this extension there is pivoted a locking-loop c, and this may be caused to turn somewhat stiffly by tightening the bearing, or it maybe provided with such a spring device as is hereinafter described with reference to Figs. 2 to 5. .The clip I) is fixed in such position on the steering-socket tube a that when the loop 0 is turned vertically, as is shown at Fig. 1, it takes over the nut (l, which normally moves with the partial rota tions of the handle-rod e,-and when the loop is in the position as stated the said handle rod 6 and the socket-tube are locked together, and therefore the axis of the steering-wheel cannot be turned, and the loop 0 may be readily moved to the dotted position, when the steering will be unlocked.

hen our locking device is to be applied to center-steering machines, we may arrange them as shown at Figs. 2 toll. The clip I) is secured to the center spindle a, and there is a washer d, Fig. 6, which is fixed and held by the lock-nut of' the upper center to the part c. When the hinged armc is raised, it takes into the slot (1 of the washer d, and the steering is locked. Near the pivot of the arm 0 there are formed two fiat parts, and there is a fiat spring a, fixed to the bracket 6 which presses on the said flat parts, and thereby holds the locking arm c in either the locked or unlocked positions. Fig. 2 shows the apparatus in the locked position, and Fig. 3 shows the locking bar in its unlocked position.

Figs. 7, 8, and 9 show the locking-bolt c as caused'to slide in a sleeve-bearing b, which latter is, in the example shown, formed in a piece with the ball-bearing case of the socket a; but it is obvious that the bearing 1) might be carried by such a clip I), as previously shown, or it could be otherwise fixed to the socket-tube a or to the equivalent part of a velocipede when center steering is employed for same.

The locking-bolt c is formed with a bayonet slot into which a screw or pin takes, the latter being fixed in the bearing 1). There is a spring 0' on the bolt 0, which tends to retain the bolt in its lowest or unlocked position. Fixed to the rotating part or handlerod e there is a socket a. lVhen it is desired to lock the steering, the bolt 0 is pushed upward and is caused to enter this socket a, and when the said bolt 0 is given a partial turn the screw or fixed pin enters the horizontal portion of the slot 0 thereby retaining the bolt 0 in the locked position. The machine may then be left at a safe angle of inclination against a wall, building, or other place, and without any risk of the deflection of steering-wheel and consequent fall of the velocipede. By simply giving the bolt 0 a partial rotation, the spring 0 will act and the steering will be unlocked.

The locking devices constructed according to our invention cannot only be fitted to We claim- 1. The combination, with the fixed frame and the inclined tubular standard connected therewith and the inclined steering-rod frame passing through the said tubular standard and having the handle-bar and wheel-forks at its respective ends, of a fixed engaging projection upon one frame, a bracket-arm connected to the other frame, a locking device connected to and movable in the bracketarm, and a spring for acting upon the locking device in either position, there being stops for limiting the movement of said locking device, substantially as specified.

2. The'combination, with the fixed frame and steering-frame in a velocipede, of an en. gaging projection upon one frame, the clip and bracket 19 1) upon the other frame, the

locking-arm c, pivoted to the bracket and hav- 5o ing two flat parts acting as stops, and a spring acting against said flat places for retaining the locking-arm in place, substantially as specified.

GEORGE SINGER. R. H. LEA.

Witnesses:

GEO. WEBB,

Stoney Stanton Rd, Coventry. WALTER HEWITT,

6 White St, Coventry. 

